The Pine Bush girls’ swimming team has dominated the Orange County Interscholastic Athletic Association and section 9 since 2018.

And despite losing their best swimmer – Elishka Hajek – to graduation last year, a smaller Pine Bush team is taking aim to continue their dominance this season. She has moved on to Campbell University, after helping Pine Bush clinch its first state championship – the 200-yard medley relay team. Hajek also finished third at states in the 50-yard freestyle and fourth in the 100-yard freestyle, and now owns two Section 9 records.

Another piece of that relay team – Cora Mance – has also graduated.

But there’s still plenty of talented swimmers returning to the Pine Bush pull as state qualifiers Samantha McKee and Mackenzie Gula, the other half of the 200-yard medley relay team.

Katie Webster, a member of the 400-yard freestyle relay team that finished second at states also returns this year. Sadie DeGeorge, Ashley Martin and Paige Gandolfini also return. Maya Oakes, Alanah Giannini and Ella Humphrey will join them.

Pine Bush enters the season, looking to win its 50th straight Section 9 dual meet as they look to build on the success of the past four seasons.

“We have a small team this year, but a great group of young ladies, who truly support each other,” said Pine Bush swimming coach John Barth. “They are a talented bunch and I look forward to seeing what they are able to accomplish.”

There will be significant change in the Valley Central Natatorium as the district’s new aquatics director Thomas Plitsch will replace the Vikings’ longtime coach Scott Warner, who retired after leading the program for 29 seasons.

“We have a new coaching staff with many years of combined experience, and we have a senior class that has the leadership and skills to lead our team to another top-place finish at the Section 9 championships,” Plitsch said.

Plitsch takes over a team that finished fifth at last year’s Section 9 championship meet and is also losing Rian Dickman, who represented the Vikings at the state championships last fall. The Vikings have also lost to state relay qualifier Grace Wienckowski, along with Nylah Wieczorek and Alyssa Thompson.

The Vikings will return an individual state qualifier in Cali White, who went to states in the 100-yard freestyle. Relay qualifier Grace Satriano also returns, as well as diver Riley Conan, as the Vikings look to qualify their experienced state swimmers and some new ones to the state championships. He’d also like to put divers into the Top 10 at the Section 9 finals and improve on last year’s fifth-place finish.

Plitsch will welcome newcomers Jenna Ramos, Gabrielle Pena, Gabriella Delcastello, Molly Hoover, Hailey Rubiano, Kaylee Benson, Avery McEvoy and Bailey Badendyck.

“I am excited for this team this upcoming year,” Plitsch said. “We have a solid core of younger swimmers making their way through the program, eager to get better.”

The Wallkill Panthers, one of the area’s smallest programs is continuing to build and look to improve its team standing in 2022. The Panthers finished 17th overall in Section 9, but have only lost one swimmer – Meghan MacEntee, who is now swimming for SUNY Potsdam.

“Although a young team, this is the most experienced and hard-working group of swimmers Wallkill has had in years,” third-year coach Doug Thompson said.

All that experience comes with very few seniors. Andie Psilopoulos, who is striving to be the first Wallkill swimmer to qualify for the state meet, is only a junior, as are Julianna Lewis and Geeta Samaroo. Returning swimmers Kaitlyn Bonner is a sophomore and Samaya Drackett is a freshman.

Newcomers include sophomore Holland Mooney Janosek and freshmen Elisia Betfield and Catherine Badu.

“Led by captains Andie Psilopoulos and Kaitlyn Bonner, we are training hard to achieve great results throughout the season and look to keep building the program,” Thompson said.